ON TRANSPLANTING TB,EE8. 17 



By this plan a little more time was necessary ; but by it men at 

 tlie guy ropes were dispensed with. The preparations for re- 

 moval having been arranged as before, i, e., the ball being well 

 worked under, and a good roadway made out of the hole, a 

 common strong timber carriage is brought up. The fore wheels 

 are separated from the hind ones ; the former are run backwards 

 down the roadway, towards the tree, and the hind wheels on the 

 opposite side (a more abrupt way having been cut for them, as it 

 is of no further use as a roadway), so as to place the tree to be 

 removed in the middle, and so that the ball and roots clear the 

 wheels. Instead of the pole belonging to the carriage when used 

 for timber being retained, a pole with a slight curve in the centre^ 

 so as not to come in contact with the stem of the tree, is used, 

 which, together with two strong oak or ash beams, about a foot 

 square, by about 12 feet long, serve to connect the wheels, and 

 sustain the weight of the tree to be lifted, and two short cross- 

 pieces about three feet in length, and from two to three inches 

 thick, are placed at right angles with the beams running length- 

 wise, the stem of the tree being in the centre of the whole. 

 These cross beams have each a hole cut through, about six inches 

 by two and a half inches, in order to let the e)/e of the screw 

 through, the screws being the same as were used for the truck, 

 with the addition of this eye. The top of these cross beams sustains 

 the plate in connexion with the screw, which plate is six Indies 

 square. Connected with the plate is the box or nut through 

 which the screw passes. The screws are worked by levers in- 

 serted in their heads horizontally ; and there is an eye at the 

 bottom of each screw, made very strong, for the chain to pass 

 through ; it is then braced completely round the ball of the tree, 

 so as to injure the roots as little as possible, and care is taken 

 that each chain has its due share of tlie ball or weight of the tree, 

 and also that an old mat is placed next the ball, then a piece of 

 plank, and next to this the chain, so that neither ball nor roots 

 may be harmed. A man is then placed to work each screw, which 

 he does by a small iron pin or lever, two feet long. When the 

 men have screwed up as high as the screws will allow, the tree is 

 wedged so as to retain what has been obtained by the screws. 

 For this purpose a few wedges two or tln'ee feet long are required, 

 and a few flat boards for the wedges to rest upon firmly. When 

 the wedges are found to sustain the weight, unscrewing is com- 

 menced, and the chain tightened. In this way the process of 

 raising goes on, alternately screwing and wedging. If things 

 are well managed, the tree will generally swing at the second 

 screwing up ; and in raising a little tact and care are necessary, 

 even in the most trifling matters. Care should especially be 

 taken that the wedges are securcjly placed before unscrewing : 

 and when the bottom of the ball is high enough to clear the sur- 



VOL. VI. c 



